


Front and Center

by OzoneDragon



Series: Limelight [1]
Category: Academia (Anthropomorfic), Buhay Kolehiyo, Hamilton - Miranda, SSU, Sexy Sexy Universities
Genre: Gen, Is this an AU, Musical-ish, buhay kolehiyo as written whilst listening to hamilton, i am sorry and not sorry at the same time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 02:12:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10912218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OzoneDragon/pseuds/OzoneDragon
Summary: Let them tell your story.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own any of the songs/music, nor the characters. The characters are all created and owned by [Sexy Sexy Universities](https://www.facebook.com/sexysexyuniversities/), and the music/s that you should definitely listen to whilst reading this is from [Hamilton](http://www.hamiltonbroadway.com/) by the wonderful Lin Manuel-Miranda.
> 
> Hi! I do apologise if I do something out of character or wrong. For the first chapter/the prologue, listen to [this](https://genius.com/Lin-manuel-miranda-alexander-hamilton-lyrics).
> 
> Thanks for reading!

_The stage lights die out, except for one close to the center. It shines down from high above as the rest of the room darkens. The eyes of the people are on you as you enter the small circle of brightness. You close your eyes and take in a deep breath then feign a punch towards the crowd, one foot ahead of the other, both fists clenched. Some of them let out a gasp, and that’s the cue for the whole stage to light up._

_On your left and right, more and more circles of light line up with your own. The space behind you is still dark, but none of those in front of you pay mind to the props taking their place. The orchestra starts their song, something strong and upbeat. The hushes of the crowd die out as your fist turns and spreads out into an open palm._

_You pull your hand back to your chest as you stand up straight. Words fly out of your mouth, having been long engraved in the confines of your memory. At this moment, you are not yourself. You take on a new role. You become a new person. You put on their shoes. You bear their coat. Their name. You are no longer yourself. They are now you._

_You tell the crowd about another. Someone you have wronged, and who has wronged you, so many times in the past. In few words, you render their entire life, their victories, and their burdens understandable. You lay the foundation and set the mood. You drop your hands look straight to the crowd as another walks out of the darkness into the spotlight next to you._

_The friend walks in with their fingers snapping. It’s a sharp contrast to the low hum of the strings, enough to set the rhythm and pace the beat of the music. The tone of their voice are as sharp as the gaze in their eyes. They take over from you. They talk more about the other. The unnamed other._

_On your other side, the rival continues to story. They are just like you, and unlike you, in so many ways. Their posture is straighter. They could tower over you even if you are slouching. The aura about them  could not be described by anything apart from the word ‘regal’. It’s the part that the you on the stage about doesn’t know about. It’s the part that the true you could never bear to imagine._

_There’s a wide space between each of you, as well as the unoccupied lights._

_Beside the rival enters their cohort. They do not compare in terms of sophistication to their ally, but they still fare far better than many of those in the room. They snap their fingers as well. The music slowly but steadily gets stronger, pulsing like a heartbeat. Sweet irony. They talk about how from the lowest of the lowest points a person could reach, the other rose up, higher than others have even dreamed of. The look on their face is the same as the one beside them, a begrudging respect with a hint of distaste._

_Once the words stop crawling out of their lips, all but you turn their gaze to the ground. In contrast, you move your gaze back to those assembled. You take the mantle of storyteller. Your voice gets louder and higher, in synchronisation with the symphony growing alongside. Your eyes harden as you ask the question they’re all asking. Who is it you’re talking about?_

_A soft but clear voice cuts through the air. Another spotlight shines down from the heavens, between you and the friend. He steps into view, face long but eyes hard. They repeat their name twice. They make a promise to the crowd that they made so long ago. A promise that they brought to full bloom at to death at the same time. They shut their eyes in pain and press a fist to their chest as he lets the last syllable drip out._

_Another voice joins the fray, hands clasped together as they resume the story. They go back to the past, far in the past, the worst of it. The one speaking of course is the one who fell in love with the one beside you, the one you grew to hate. They don’t say much; they even avoid looking at the crowd directly. Their eyes are fixed on their beloved._

_The chorus: you, the rivalled, the befriended, the loved, and the rest of them, then whisper in hushed tones. Each one is quiet in their own right, but together they are a power to behold. The other stays silent as pain rocks his features. He shakes his head in dismay and faces away from the crowd._

_The mentor steps out, the oldest out all those present. Their face is as dim as the others beside them. They shove a hand their pocket and let out a sigh. The song from their heart is as powerful as the rest of you, joined briefly by those hidden in the shadows._

_The lights go out again, except for your own and that of the other. Two beacons in the sea of darkness, and one dims as your voice rises for a third time. The pace quickens and the movement of the set is more evident. The lights rise again as the passion in your voice about how the other’s life is held by the reigns and forced headstrong into storm after storm pours out in a series phrases that hit the crowd in waves. The lights are not strong enough to illuminate the faces of those behind you, but they are enough to reveal their silhouettes._

_The low hum returns, not in the orchestra, but from the people, especially those still shrouded in mystery. Multiple voices meld together, indistinguishable from the piano, the drums, and the others. All of you become one. All of you tell the same story. The same blood flows through you. The adrenaline. The passion. The truth._

_You walk across the stage, your own voice firm against the crowd. You add more to the story, paint more of the picture, but you leave enough to keep the crowd confused, curious, wanting. You leave them wanting for more, to know more, to learn more. The life of the man at the center of stage is about to be laid bare, and it is your role to do so._

_Amidst the storm of passion and voice, the other stands straight, his head held up high. His eyes are closed though he practically exudes confidence. His fists clench as the room fills with the power of their collective voice._

_You disappear into the chorus once more, then the music drops dead. The people shrouded in darkness and light disappear once more as the world fades away. The spotlights shine down, but only on the people speaking at any given time, apart from the other, of course._

_Two come to life, then shut off. A third does the same. Then, a fourth. A fifth. And finally, you. Each of you tell the crowd exactly why you’re there on that stage, tonight, telling them about the story of this person at the center of the stage. Each person, each connection an untold story, an unsolved mystery, something hidden waiting to be untold. It has barely been four minutes and you already have the crowd entranced, their minds addled with questions._

_The answers, of course, would come to the spotlight later on._

_The chorus rises together for their final line. You ask them again, who are you talking about? With a final shout of his name, the lights die and darkness shrouds the crowd._


	2. Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Mia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It's me again. I have nothing to say, hihi.
> 
> [This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1CEolFz5do) is the next song.

Deep breaths. Inhale. Exhale. In and out.

Salle stared at himself in the mirror. He palmed the dark circles under his eyes, stretched the spots, then shook his head. Nothing could be done to remove those. Cessie told him many times to try this new thing called _‘sleep’_ , but he could not sacrifice his time for such things. He let out a snort as his lips curled into a smirk.

He looked into those mischievous verdant eyes and quirked a brow. The look that creased his features showed how ridiculous he thought this all was, talking to himself in the mirror. He gave himself a harsh slap on the cheek then turned the knobs of the faucet, letting the cold water run so that the day could begin.

* * *

Salle’s mother highly recommended that he and his twin sister join the student union for the surrounding colleges and universities. It would give them a chance to meet new people outside of the confines of their respective campuses; they could make friends, have fun, the works. Salle was all for it, of course. He was a people person.

His sister, Cessie, was even more so. He lost track of her as soon as they entered the massive building that housed the union. He turned to the guard at the door to ask if this was the right place, and, when he turned back to the girl behind him, she had already disappeared in the sea of college students. He let out a sigh, exasperated but half-heartedly so.

Cess was full of energy and life, for as long as he could remember. She’d been raving about the all of the different people they could meet and the possible things that could happen since last week. She even dyed her hair a deep violet from the previous red to signify a new start.

“Cess, ha.” He chuckled to himself and ran a hand through his hair. “ _Ang kulit mo._ ”

With a shake of his head, Salle shouldered his bag and walked in.

To be honest, Salle had no idea what to expect. He assumed student unions were _inside_ a school so that the students could unite, or something. He didn’t think about it much. Cessie’s guess seemed to be more accurate.

A myriad of students from all over the city and the nearby areas were here. They bore the insignias of their respective schools, on their jackets, their bags, with such pride, Salle felt a bit guilty for leaving his jacket at home. He saw eagles and tigers, and his school’s very own archers. It was mesh of colours, almost like a rainbow. Cess would definitely approve.

Most of them were spread out in the large lobby on couches or at desks, with the rest either waiting at the elevators at the far back or already on their way out of the building. The whole place seemed to be just for the union. Impressive.

Cess was still nowhere to be seen, of course. She was probably hell-bent on exploring the building and turning the place inside out. Salle did too, to be honest. He smiled to himself as he walked further inside, admiring the minimalist decorating. A lot of fun could be had here.

He glanced at the students again and took note of the more interesting ones.

There was a pair of twins at the corner of the room who took over a couch meant for four. The guy was entranced by the bright screen of his console, mashing the buttons furiously. Salle didn’t think much of him. The guy slouched and had his tongue stuck out. His light brown hair was a mess from hands running through it constantly. With a green vest and a yellow tie to accentuate his white polo and khakis, he looked like the type to blend into the crowd.

The girl beside him, however, was the opposite. The resemblance to her twin was definitely there; the slight upturn of her nose, the soft brown of her long hair. The stoic expression on her face contrasted greatly with her brother’s childish one, though. Whereas the other looked to be normally relaxed and at ease, she had the stiffness to her that reminded Salle of the kings and queens he used to see on TV. Regal was what he would use to describe her. The glare she gave him when she noticed him staring was nothing short of terrifying.

Heat rose to his cheeks and he steered himself to the receptionist’s desk in front of the elevators to avoid further embarrassment and what he was sure was a threat. _'Don’t mess with her,'_ Salle filed away at the back of his mind.

He shook his head then bumped into a smaller figure. He blinked in confusion and got ready to apologise when she turned. She had hair as dark as his own, reaching past her shoulders, down to her hips. Her features were soft but her gaze was wary, almost hostile. She held herself just like the twin. Only five seconds, and she already saw him as several levels below her. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

“Can I help you?” She narrowed her eyes a fraction and leaned back on the receptionist’s desk with her arms crossed across her chest.

Salle gulped and wiped his palms against his jeans. A bead of sweat ran down the back of his neck as he quickly thought of something to say.

“ _Pasensya na po!_ ” He rubbed the back of his neck as he laughed sheepishly. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

The laughing died out when he saw that she was not amused, and his mind scrambled. “I- I just got here, a-and I came with my sister, but she disappeared. I need to find her or _magagalit si Mama_ if something happens-” He would have continued to ramble, but she stopped him with a finger pointed to the ceiling.

“You’re new?” She raised an eyebrow.

He nodded.

“And you’re looking for your sister?” She drummed her fingers against her side.

He nodded again.

“Well, then.” She decided after a moment’s silence. “Allow me to welcome you to the Union.” Her lips suddenly lifted into a kind smile. “My name’s Miriam, but you can call me Mia.”

“Salle.” He introduced himself as he straightened his back. He let out a sigh of relief inside, silently glad that she didn’t have wish death upon him. She probably would, given the opportunity.

Mia nodded and walked around the desk. She waved for him to follow her to the cluster of elevators as she pressed a button. She took out her phone and let her thumbs fly across the screen, typing rapidly as she sent out a series of texts to who knew where. “I know where your sister is,” she said simply.

The elevator doors opened and she stepped inside, raising an eyebrow when Salle didn’t go in with her. He blinked twice then rushed inside just as the doors closed. He chuckled in embarrassment and immediately tried to take hold of the conversation.

“You’ve met Cess?”

She hummed a “Yes” as the metal box carried them up to the next floor. Salle took note of the various facilities listed on the side. His eyes widened at the mention of a basketball court, but the doors opened again before he could check again.

Mia walked out with her heels clicking against the tiled floor, Salle in tow. She held her handbag close as she scanned the room for the girl with violet hair. They were in a food court.

Several stalls lined up against the opposite wall, offering food from all over the world and for all types of diets. Several round tables filled the rest of the space, some of them occupied by students typing away on their laptops and eating a full meal at the same time. A large window gave them view of the street below, and a miniature Starbucks took space at the corner furthest from said window.

They spotted Cessie sitting with a brunette a few inches taller than her. She was stuffing her mouth with some Chinese dish when she noticed Mia and Salle enter the room. His sister immediately gave them a bright wave with a shout of his name, and Salle returned the wave with a hearty laugh. The girl next to her turned a faint shade of pink and immediately looked away from the pair.

Mia‘s lips curled into another smirk as she glanced back and forth between the girl in blue and the new boy, already able to make the connection. A scheme was being plotted as she took Salle by the wrist and dragged him over to the girls. She bit back the urge to tease her friend about the growing blush on her face.

As soon as they sat down, the girl in blue stood up. “I have to go.” She ground out between clenched teeth. “I have a project _pa_. Bye.” She made a beeline for the elevator as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn’t stop until she was safely behind the steel walls of the elevator.

Cessie pouted as she watched the girl stomp away. “ _Ang bilis naman._ ” She shook her head then smiled at her brother. “That was Addie. She doesn’t talk much, but she’s very nice!” She nodded furiously to support her claim, much to Mia’s amusement. Cess pouted again as she pushed the now empty plate away from her.

“ _Ate_ _Mia naman!_ Don’t tease!” Mia burst into laughter at that, throwing her head back as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

Salle let out a chuckle at the expense of a punch to his shoulder. “I see _magkakilala na kayong dalawa, ah?_ ”

Mia pressed a hand to her lips to stop herself from giggling as she nodded. She waved away Cess’s playful glare as she turned to Salle. “I was about to give her a tour of the building, but I got a call from a groupmate about our project. I asked Addie to show her around in my place.”

“ _Parang ikaw yung_ boss _dito, ha?_ ” Salle let out a laugh as Cessie gave up with a puff of her cheeks then excused herself to get more food. Of course. There was Potato Corner. It was her favourite.

Mia simply smiled at that as she brushed her hair behind her ear. She winked with a mischievous intent. “If only, Salle. If only.”

“ _Kaya mo ‘yan,_ for sure!” He winked back as a comfortable silence filled the air. A few more people entered the room. They filed in line at the various booths, though Salle paid them no mind. He tilted his head as Mia cleared her throat and faced him. She placed her hands on her lap and gave him a serious look, much like the one she gave him earlier.

“Let me give you some advice, Salle,” she said as her lips pressed into a thin line, concern and another emotion in her eyes, a hint of distaste.

He frowned at the sudden change in atmosphere. “What’s up?”

Mia breathed through her nose then let out a sigh, as if she regretted doing this. She probably did, but Salle wasn’t entirely convinced. She smiled reassuringly, but again, he wasn’t reassured.

“I suggest you..” She paused. “Be careful around here.”

“What?” He blinked in confusion and leaned forward as she lowered her voice.

“I’m sure you can take care of yourself, but it would be good if you and your sister lay low.” She glanced from left to right and spoke before he could utter a reply. “There’s all sorts of people you can find here, and, sometimes, bringing attention to yourself would attract the wrong crowd-”

“ALRIGHT!” _“Let’s bring in the lunch, fam’!”_ A triad of loud shouts cut her off.

Mia cringed as a result and looked behind Salle with more distaste clear in her monotone, her fists clenched. “My point exactly.”

Salle turned around, bemused. He turned to see that one of the definitely-not indoor voices came from a tall young man. He towered over many of those in the room, including the two beside him. He had a kind but confident smile that reached up to his shining red eyes, hidden behind a pair of dark-rimmed glasses. His hair was even messier than the twin downstairs, and he dressed far more casually than most in the room.

The girl on his left was clearly the ‘cool’ kid of the three of them, based on her partially white hair and scarf. Salle didn’t understand how one of those voices could have come from her, since she seemed to do well at suppressing her excitement. The fact that everyone else shied away from them, however, left little options on who actually did the shouting.

The third member of the triumvirate was another guy, with the energy and hair bright enough to rival even that of Cessie’s. His mop of yellow hair was topped off with undyed black, framing a soft face that even Salle found cute. He bore his school’s jacket with great pride and practically jumped on the balls of his feet, filled with a nervous energy. He was the deafening of them all.

“Let’s bring in the lunch!” The one in red shouted again with a raise of his fist, followed by the excited cries of his companions.

At the back of Salle’s mind, he suddenly understood exactly what Mia meant. The three took the room’s attention by the storm as soon as they stepped off of the elevator. Everyone stared at them for a good moment, a mixture of annoyance, recognition, loathing, and even fondness, featured across their faces. Many gave them a wide berth, even those that looked almost friendly. The triad attracted attention, but not exactly the good kind.

They didn’t care.

“Yeah, _kain na tayo!_ ” The girl let out a giggle as the boy her height jabbed a finger in their direction. Salle glanced back and saw Mia’s jaw clench slightly.

“ _Si Mia ba ‘yan?_ ” The yellowish one grinned as he took the taller one by the hand and dragged him over to their table, much to Mia’s dismay. The girl quickly followed, eyeing Mia curiously.

She forced a smile as the trio approached, and Salle was sure she was glad that the eyes were no longer on them. He glanced back to where Cessie was, but she seemed to still be stuck in line. He let himself shrug as the three crowded the table, the guys already offering to shake Salle’s hand.

“ _Ako si Phil!_ ” “And, _ako naman si Tomas!_ ” Salle gave one a fist bump then the other a one-armed hug. His grin mirrored that of Phil and Tomas. He was clearly going to get along with them.

He tilted his head at the girl, however, as she was standing awkwardly in front of Mia. She rubbed her arm then raised a hand to wave, gazing at anywhere except for her eyes.

“Hi Mia.”

Mia let herself nod then turned to Salle, gesturing with her hand to introduce the girl. “This is Iya.”

He smiled kindly and introduced himself.

Tomas tilted his head as Phil took a seat. The bright boy then sat down on his lap, smiling as arms wrapped around his waist. Iya rolled her eyes as she sat down beside them then raised a brow at Salle.

“ _Kumain ka na ba?_ ”

“Lunch!” Tomas suddenly exclaimed with glee, a sparkle in his eyes that shined brighter than several stars. Salle bit back a laugh as Phil snapped his head in the direction of the food stalls, already scanning the menus with his sort of enhanced vision.

Mia hissed at them and told them to lower their voices. She glanced around at their fellow students and gave them an apologetic look. She chuckled nervously then glared at the hungry trio. Tomas ignored her with a wave of his hand.

“Don’t mind her. But, yeah. Did you eat _na ba_?”

Salle shook his head, and, in the blink of an eye, Phil, Tomas, and Iya surrounded him. They grabbed him by the shoulders and hauled him off in the direction of two of the food stalls - they couldn’t decide which one to “christen Salle’s first meal at the union.” They crowded him with suggestions and recommendations, overshadowing the clatter of pans and the chatter of students in line.

He briefly caught Cessie staring at them with a small grin, and then saw Mia dragging her finger across her neck in warning. Salle knew that she was only looking out for him, but, to be frank, these three were not so bad. He felt that he could mesh with them much easier than he would with most of other people. It wasn’t that hard to figure out whether or not he heeded the girl’s advice.

With an apologetic smile, he mouthed his goodbye then laughed at a joke Phil made, not an ounce of regret in his decision.  
Thus was the birth of a new friendship.

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on [tumblr](https://flygonrider.tumblr.com/) for updates~


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